I was curious on two fronts:1) The school seems to really emphasize the congenial attitude between students and between students and professors. Is that true or is it just an advertisement talking point?2) How important is it to live near campus, particularly for your first year? I've heard that commuting 20-30 minutes, even if it meant saving a lot on rent, could be damaging socially, but also mentally given how busy it will be.

dietcoke1 wrote:How complicated is it to ride the AirRide from Detroit Airport to UMich? Also, how long does it take? Is that the cheapest and easiest way to get to campus from Detroit?

It's very easy (and cheap). The only problem is if your schedule doesn't match up with the bus schedule and you end up having to get to the airport really early or wait for a while at the airport on your way back. The airport is about 30 minutes away.

During busy travel times, like on either end of vacations/long weekends, people will email the law school listserve offering or asking for a ride, or offering to split an uber with someone else.

Also, just so you know, the airport is not in Detroit - it's about halfway between Detroit and Ann Arbor.

I was curious on two fronts:1) The school seems to really emphasize the congenial attitude between students and between students and professors. Is that true or is it just an advertisement talking point?2) How important is it to live near campus, particularly for your first year? I've heard that commuting 20-30 minutes, even if it meant saving a lot on rent, could be damaging socially, but also mentally given how busy it will be.

1) It's true2) I don't know anyone who commuted 20-30 minutes unless they lived in Lansing because they didn't want to uproot their spouse/kids. In other words, I don't know anyone who moved to Michigan for law school and then chose to live 20-30 minutes away. You don't need to live 20-30 minutes away to save a lot on rent... maaaaybe 10-15 minutes. If you have a personal reason for living somewhere far away that's fine but there's no reason to live so far away otherwise IMO. It's hard to socialize if you live that far away, so if that's something you care about it's worth living closer.

blueapple wrote:2) I don't know anyone who commuted 20-30 minutes unless they lived in Lansing because they didn't want to uproot their spouse/kids. In other words, I don't know anyone who moved to Michigan for law school and then chose to live 20-30 minutes away. You don't need to live 20-30 minutes away to save a lot on rent... maaaaybe 10-15 minutes. If you have a personal reason for living somewhere far away that's fine but there's no reason to live so far away otherwise IMO. It's hard to socialize if you live that far away, so if that's something you care about it's worth living closer.

It would be for personal reasons, but I've heard it's better to be closer to the school. I have a choice, so I was just curious if people considered it that big of a deal to tack on a few minutes to the commute- which it seems like you do!

blueapple wrote:2) I don't know anyone who commuted 20-30 minutes unless they lived in Lansing because they didn't want to uproot their spouse/kids. In other words, I don't know anyone who moved to Michigan for law school and then chose to live 20-30 minutes away. You don't need to live 20-30 minutes away to save a lot on rent... maaaaybe 10-15 minutes. If you have a personal reason for living somewhere far away that's fine but there's no reason to live so far away otherwise IMO. It's hard to socialize if you live that far away, so if that's something you care about it's worth living closer.

It would be for personal reasons, but I've heard it's better to be closer to the school. I have a choice, so I was just curious if people considered it that big of a deal to tack on a few minutes to the commute- which it seems like you do!

I do think it makes a difference but there are of course going to be situations where it makes sense for someone to commute - it just depends what your priorities are. Feel free to PM me if you want to talk about it in more detail at any point

I was curious on two fronts:1) The school seems to really emphasize the congenial attitude between students and between students and professors. Is that true or is it just an advertisement talking point?2) How important is it to live near campus, particularly for your first year? I've heard that commuting 20-30 minutes, even if it meant saving a lot on rent, could be damaging socially, but also mentally given how busy it will be.

1.) I would say that it is generally true. Most of the Professors are nice and very approachable, and the atmosphere of the law school in general is very friendly. I couldn't be happier with the culture personally. Law school is a bit adversarial by nature, but I have heard some real horror stories about other schools. I have yet to encounter anything over the top here.

2.) I would offer a counterpoint to the poster above. I believe that living close to campus is important for active participation in the social life. It's not that living far away is damaging, but being around other law students and graduate students generally has been an inexorable part of the experience for me. Making friends and being able to hang out at a moment's notice is just nice. Also, living near campus really is not that expensive (especially relative to other T14s).

Also, I'd say generally that you won't be that busy during 1L other than during finals. I'd say the thing I was most surprised about 1L (which I just recently finished if you ask a Summer Starter) is how much free time I had. Don't listen to the hype. If you're concerned about your financial situation (anyone with sense should be), I would recommend living close to campus and getting a part time job to offset the cost. That's what I did, and I think it turned out wonderfully.

ETA: I agree with you completely which is the only reason I ask. I don't think I said anything contrary to you beyond saying there are exceptions

Upon re-reading what you said, I have realized that we don't disagree about anything.

And this is #theMichiganDifference

Sarastro wrote:

We're really nice people and the whole congenial thing is true! And our professors are nice and approachable, though some have their quirks (tbf all academic folk do).

I know some people who live in Ypsilanti and the bus may take a while to commute in on, but if you drive or use bus time to study, it doesn't seem like it's a detriment. I wouldn't move much further than that, though, and think you might want to be as close as financially and reasonably possible.

blueapple wrote:2) I don't know anyone who commuted 20-30 minutes unless they lived in Lansing because they didn't want to uproot their spouse/kids. In other words, I don't know anyone who moved to Michigan for law school and then chose to live 20-30 minutes away. You don't need to live 20-30 minutes away to save a lot on rent... maaaaybe 10-15 minutes. If you have a personal reason for living somewhere far away that's fine but there's no reason to live so far away otherwise IMO. It's hard to socialize if you live that far away, so if that's something you care about it's worth living closer.

It would be for personal reasons, but I've heard it's better to be closer to the school. I have a choice, so I was just curious if people considered it that big of a deal to tack on a few minutes to the commute- which it seems like you do!

Depends. I was on campus 1L and 2L and lived about a 20-30 minute drive away through 3L. There are really big benefits to living away, but I suspect those mostly come your last year. Making friends and finding your social group is a big deal 1L, and maintaining them is a big deal 2L. That being said, it depends on your group. If you and your friends are all 30something married people with kids, maybe you don't need to be from couch to Blue Lep/Ashley's/Skeeps in five minutes flat. But if you want that kind of life where you can socialize easily, being there is a big deal. I enjoyed being away 3L because it keeps you out of the smothering pressure cooker that exists wherever law students gather. But that might not be you.

Seems like everyone is pretty positive about the school. Can you think of some downsides? Relative to other schools or just negatives in a vacuum?

Anything you wish you knew about Michigan Law before starting there?

+1 on the above questions

Also, if we plan on practicing in California or on the East Coast, is that a problem from Michigan?

I live in CA and the only other place I think I would want to practice is NY.

So on the downsides:- Ann Arbor is a college town and kind of a bubble. I'm in my late 20s and moved here from NYC, so it's possible my culture shock was more extreme, but that gets kind of annoying. There's a surprising amount of things to do (diverse food, museums, speakers, etc) for a smaller city, but everyone you meet seems to be connected to the university (which makes dating sort of weird).- It's a Big Ten school and football sort of takes over everything on Saturdays. As an Ohio State fan, it might bother me more than the average person, but drunk undergrads covered in maize and blue are really annoying. Good news is, it's much quieter in the winter semester.- Depending on where you're from or where you're flying to, travel can be kind of annoying. There's an Amtrak in town and the Detroit airport is pretty close, but you sort of have to fly to NYC or LA or SF or DC.

Things I wish I knew before I got here:- There is free food all the time from events. You don't ever need to buy food during the week.- Find out how you feel about having lots of writing from multiple other people in used textbooks and check out your books before you buy them. It annoys the hell out of me, so I try to limit the number of previous owners. There are tons of 2Ls and 3Ls who sell book for cheap, though.- Health insurance is a quagmire and who knows how it will change in the next few months, but if you're a generally healthy person, check out cheaper options for insurance than the school 's Aetna plan (it's separate from student fees). You get free/really cheap health services through your student fees at the university health center, so your insurance is primarily for prescriptions and if you need to see a specialist.- Spend time thinking about how you want to take notes before classes start, but also don't be afraid to change course if you find something better. I use the highlighter book briefing approach with handwritten notes, but that's not good if you rent books. - Go to the Lexis table on Tuesdays to see Lexis Liz and get Lexis points to buy stuff. Do all the things that earn you Lexis points (search for one case a day, lunch trainings, etc) and get something with the points to treat yourself. Then make sure you actually know how to use Westlaw, because that's what most firms and a lot of other places actually use.

In terms of jobs, Michigan is great at getting people to NYC and that's where I'm hoping to wind up. I haven't met anyone who wanted to go to one of the large markets and wasn't able to find something they enjoyed. Davis Polk hosted a meet and greet this week for the law school and had a bunch of NYC and DC staff to schmooze with before OCI this August, and there are firms from major markets visiting the school during lunch every week this semester it seems. While living in the Ann Arbor bubble is kind of annoying, it creates a really strong bond. Sometimes it seems almost cult-like, but that might be my inner grouchy/skeptical New Yorker talking. Alumni are really active and go above and beyond to help current students. I know NYC and Chicago have huge alumni networks. I can't personally speak to DC and California, but I couldn't imagine there's a group of disenchanted alumni in these cities after meeting alumni elsewhere.I've heard from people (and noticed from the number of people who came here planning to go to secondary markets) that it places really well in smaller cities, but I don't know if that's common at all T14.

Can't speak to the law school experience personally but attended as an undergrad. A few of the things from my perspective that stood out as potential pitfalls:

Winter is real and super long in Ann Arbor. If you're not used to an intense winter this can be a real shock. Not only the cold weather/snow, but the lack of sunshine. For reference I live in Germany now and people complain about the constant overcast during winter. Ann Arbor, imo was even worse in this aspect.

Most people at UM are pretty serious and pretty talented at what they do. It can be intimidating if you've always felt like a big fish in a small pond to be surrounded by what was, in my opinion, people of extreme intellect. For a perspective T10er this is likely going to be a consideration anywhere but still, it was an eye opener for me.

That said, loved it there and I feel the positives far outweigh the negatives.

AJordan wrote:Can't speak to the law school experience personally but attended as an undergrad. A few of the things from my perspective that stood out as potential pitfalls:Winter is real and super long in Ann Arbor. If you're not used to an intense winter this can be a real shock. Not only the cold weather/snow, but the lack of sunshine. For reference I live in Germany now and people complain about the constant overcast during winter. Ann Arbor, imo was even worse in this aspect.

Most people at UM are pretty serious and pretty talented at what they do. It can be intimidating if you've always felt like a big fish in a small pond to be surrounded by what was, in my opinion, people of extreme intellect. For a perspective T10er this is likely going to be a consideration anywhere but still, it was an eye opener for me.

That said, loved it there and I feel the positives far outweigh the negatives.

See bolded and not only is the winter long, but it is very dreary. I think of the first 2-3 weeks I've been back on campus this winter, over half of the days have featured cold rain (which, sidebar, is my least favorite type of weather... it might as well just snow if it's going to be cold & precipitate!) Also, IMO AA has kind of mediocre food, especially compared to a bigger city, though I'm aware reasonable people can disagree on this.

However, the collegiality thing is real, and it does help with the stress of law school. Maybe it's me, but I particularly noticed this in the immediate days after the election. The day after, everyone was kind of walking around in a daze... and people were frequently breaking down and crying (me included.) But I also think that the sense of community really helped, and at least I felt like the community around the law school was very supportive. If you get in here, it's a wonderful place to be.

I don't have one and haven't felt like I missed out on anything because of it and can catch a ride with friends/use public transit/ride share whenever I need to go outside of walking distance. I also haven't had a car since 2007, so, y'know, grain of salt.

I don't have one and haven't felt like I missed out on anything because of it and can catch a ride with friends/use public transit/ride share whenever I need to go outside of walking distance. I also haven't had a car since 2007, so, y'know, grain of salt.

Agreed. If you live at the LC, a car is actually kind of annoying to have (I have to pay for parking that's almost a mile away.)

If you don't live at the LC.. it kind of depends. You probably can get away without one if you're close, but that's probably a case by case basis.

Amelie wrote:Can someone who lives/has lived in the Lawyer's Club speak to their experience? Is it worth it to live there for the the social atmosphere and convenience? I think if I attend that's where I'll probably live, but the idea of using shared bathrooms grosses me out a bit

Only some of the rooms involve shared bathrooms, though. You can put that as your last option.

Amelie wrote:Can someone who lives/has lived in the Lawyer's Club speak to their experience? Is it worth it to live there for the the social atmosphere and convenience? I think if I attend that's where I'll probably live, but the idea of using shared bathrooms grosses me out a bit

Only some of the rooms involve shared bathrooms, though. You can put that as your last option.

Also, the shared bathrooms are shared with only 1 other person. But yeah, most rooms do not have shared bathrooms.